ISLAMABAD, Nov 26: Opposition senators on Friday criticized the conduct of Deputy Chairman Khalilur Rahman during the house proceedings and threatened to table a no-confidence motion against him.

Speaking at a press conference in the Parliament House cafeteria after staging a walkout from the house, the opposition members announced that they would also boycott the lunch hosted by the deputy chairman for the visiting parliamentary delegation of Thailand on Saturday.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed said the opposition parties had convened a meeting on Monday to consider all options to lodge a strong protest against the government for 'bulldozing' the legislation process.

He said the government had been bypassing the opposition on the basis of its numerical strength and added that the option of boycotting the session and holding a protest demonstration outside the Parliament House would also be considered at the meeting.

The MMA senator pointed out that the opposition members had been forced to raise various issues on points of order because their motions and resolutions were being 'killed' by the chairman in his chamber.

He said that by taking up the quorum issue in the Senate and the National Assembly the opposition wanted to stress the point that treasury members were not taking interest in the legislation proceedings. He ridiculed a statement by the leader of house Wasim Sajjad that parliament's lobby was also part of the house and, therefore, the members sitting there should also be counted.

Criticizing the government for passing the ISI Bill passed in 'haste', ANP Senator Asfandyar Wali said the rulers were setting wrong traditions. He said that for the first time in history, the chairman was also counted with other members only to declare the house in order.

PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said the proceedings had no legal status after it had been pointed out that the house did not have quorum. He claimed that only eight members were present in the house when quorum was first pointed out and only 12 when the ISI Bill was tabled by the parliamentary affairs minister.

PPP senators Farhatullah Babar, Enver Baig, Farooq Naek, Sajjad Bukhari and Abdul Latif Ansari; PML-N Senator Sadia Abbasi; MMA Senators Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, and Maulana Gul Naseeb, and Raza Mohammad Raza of the PkMAP were also present on the occasion.